The Lost Diaries, By Craig Brown

Craig Brown's The Lost Diaries collects tidbits of celebrity wisdom.

Cormac McCarthy serves up his recipe for spaghetti ("Ingredients: Pasta. And salt. And water. And fire"), Norman Mailer proffers writing tips ("write as you fart, with precision"), and Karl Lagerfeld gives pointers on surviving the recession ("sack your assistant chauffeur!"). But the book has a darker side, too, and reveals the inner torment of great artists: Madonna reveals the deeper significance of her lyrics ("My new song, 'Whoo! Touch My Sex!' is basically about my struggle to come to terms with my childhood"), and Bono delves into his past ("We did some mad shit together, the Dalai Lama and I").

Pitch-perfect parodies to help lift the autumnal gloom.